Post by snacky on Aug 24, 2014 7:03:41 GMT
I've been watching the older episodes of MM where William is more likely to have "visions", and in one of the episodes I was watching today, Bone Fever, William noticeably "checked out" during his vision, and Julia had to call him back to get his attention.
This made me wonder whether William had epilepsy or another seizure disorder:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure
Here is a list of causes other than having epilepsy:
So let's say William had a rough and tumble life at the logging camp and fell out of a few trees. (We already saw a picture of someone throwing him through a box car). He might have had an untreated hemorrhage and scarring. Or perhaps he experimented with drugs at one time: alcohol is off limits, but William might have been interested in "performance enhancers" - or he simply may have exposed himself to a lot of fumes, lol. He could have been exposed to a parasite through lack of refrigeration in those days. He could have a brain tumor (his sister had cancer). Or he could have undiagnosed epilepsy.
This condition might have given him an EXTRA vivid experience with the Time Machine. Didn't he appear a little "drunker" on it than everyone else?
In speaking of drinking: I know from my own medical problems that the body can present natural aversions to things far before there is an medical explanation. According to Epilepsy.com, alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures: www.epilepsy.com/learn/triggers-seizures/alcohol
Remember William talking about how his body was in rebellion the day after the Green Muse? hmm.
You don't have to drop on the floor, convulse, and foam at the mouth to have a seizure. "Partial Seizures" or "Focal Seizures" that only affect one part of one hemisphere of the brain can cause hallucinations.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_seizure
A number of historical figures have been ex post facto diagnosed with epilepsy because of hallucinations. Here is an article on Chopin:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110124195620.htm
I'm thinking it might be an interesting "angst" arc for William to suspect there is a medical cause for his visions, or for some troubling symptom to start (like migraines). That would give Julia a medical mystery to solve! Hopefully it's something something treatable.
This made me wonder whether William had epilepsy or another seizure disorder:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure
Here is a list of causes other than having epilepsy:
A number of conditions associated with seizures but not epilepsy include: febrile seizures and acute infection, stroke, or toxicity.
During adulthood, likely causes are alcohol related, strokes, trauma, CNS infections, and brain tumors. In older adults, cerebrovascular disease. Other causes are CNS tumors, head trauma, and other degenerative diseases such as dementia.
Metabolic: low blood sugar, low blood sodium, hyperosmolar nonketotic hyperglycemia, high blood sodium, low blood calcium and high blood urea levels; hepatic encephalopathy and the genetic disorder porphyria.
Mass lesions: cavernoma or cavernous malformation can cause seizures, headaches, and brain hemorrhages. arteriovenous malformation (AVM) , headaches, and brain hemorrhages. space-occupying lesions in the brain (abscesses, tumours). In people with brain tumours, the frequency of epilepsy depends on the location of the tumor in the cortical region.
Medications: Both medication and drug overdoses can result in seizures, as may certain medication and drug withdrawal. Common drugs involved: antidepressants, antipsychotics, cocaine, insulin, and the local anaesthetic lidocaine. Difficulties with withdrawal seizures commonly occurs after prolonged alcohol or sedative use.
Infections: pork tapeworm, which can result in neurocysticercosis; parasitic infections such as cerebral malaria; encephalitis or meningitis
Other: Seizures may occur as a result of high blood pressure, known as hypertensive encephalopathy.
head injury may cause non-epileptic post-traumatic seizures or post-traumatic epilepsy
haemorrhagic stroke can occasionally present with seizures, embolic strokes generally do not (though epilepsy is a common later complication); cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare type of stroke
multiple sclerosis
Wikipedia page on Seizures: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_seizures
During adulthood, likely causes are alcohol related, strokes, trauma, CNS infections, and brain tumors. In older adults, cerebrovascular disease. Other causes are CNS tumors, head trauma, and other degenerative diseases such as dementia.
Metabolic: low blood sugar, low blood sodium, hyperosmolar nonketotic hyperglycemia, high blood sodium, low blood calcium and high blood urea levels; hepatic encephalopathy and the genetic disorder porphyria.
Mass lesions: cavernoma or cavernous malformation can cause seizures, headaches, and brain hemorrhages. arteriovenous malformation (AVM) , headaches, and brain hemorrhages. space-occupying lesions in the brain (abscesses, tumours). In people with brain tumours, the frequency of epilepsy depends on the location of the tumor in the cortical region.
Medications: Both medication and drug overdoses can result in seizures, as may certain medication and drug withdrawal. Common drugs involved: antidepressants, antipsychotics, cocaine, insulin, and the local anaesthetic lidocaine. Difficulties with withdrawal seizures commonly occurs after prolonged alcohol or sedative use.
Infections: pork tapeworm, which can result in neurocysticercosis; parasitic infections such as cerebral malaria; encephalitis or meningitis
Other: Seizures may occur as a result of high blood pressure, known as hypertensive encephalopathy.
head injury may cause non-epileptic post-traumatic seizures or post-traumatic epilepsy
haemorrhagic stroke can occasionally present with seizures, embolic strokes generally do not (though epilepsy is a common later complication); cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare type of stroke
multiple sclerosis
Wikipedia page on Seizures: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_seizures
This condition might have given him an EXTRA vivid experience with the Time Machine. Didn't he appear a little "drunker" on it than everyone else?
In speaking of drinking: I know from my own medical problems that the body can present natural aversions to things far before there is an medical explanation. According to Epilepsy.com, alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures: www.epilepsy.com/learn/triggers-seizures/alcohol
Remember William talking about how his body was in rebellion the day after the Green Muse? hmm.
You don't have to drop on the floor, convulse, and foam at the mouth to have a seizure. "Partial Seizures" or "Focal Seizures" that only affect one part of one hemisphere of the brain can cause hallucinations.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_seizure
A number of historical figures have been ex post facto diagnosed with epilepsy because of hallucinations. Here is an article on Chopin:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110124195620.htm
I'm thinking it might be an interesting "angst" arc for William to suspect there is a medical cause for his visions, or for some troubling symptom to start (like migraines). That would give Julia a medical mystery to solve! Hopefully it's something something treatable.
